Three editions of Halo 3 coming in autumn

Microsoft has confirmed that three editions of highly anticipated Xbox 360 title Halo 3 will be available when the game launches later this year.

Alongside the Standard Edition, which is comprised of the standalone game, a Legendary Edition will be released "in limited quantities", according to a statement. It will come with a collectable Spartan helmet case, Halo 3 storyboard art and two bonus discs.

The first disc will feature exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, including a Making of Halo 3 documentary, plus a look at early game concepts. It will also include an audio-visual calibration tool "never before seen on a videogame", which has been custom designed by the Halo 3 team and will allow fans to enjoy high definition footage and optimised audio.

The second disc, which will only be available with the Legendary Edition, will include remastered cinematic material from Halo 2 and Halo: Combat Evolved, complete with developer commentaries.

Viewers will also get to see a featurette about a day in the life at Bungie, plus exclusive content from the Machinima artists who created Red vs. Blue and This Spartan Life.

The Limited Edition version of Halo 3 will come in a metal case and along with the first bonus disc from the Legendary Edition, purchasers will get a Halo fiction and art book which features a guide to the game's universe and previously unseen material.

Microsoft also confirmed that Halo 3 will arrive in shops this autumn, with an exact release date yet to be locked down.